Thirty Ways of Green and Blue
by Snoaz
Summary: VI: Every time he was somewhere, he wished that girl would be on his side. Oldrivalshipping in thirty ways.
1. Thirty Ways of Green and Blue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.  
**

Thirty ways of Blue and Green

I

She was used to the whistling and the craned necks, a constant flattering for her ego. But Green's withdrawal the first time they met made a more profound impression on her than any meaningless compliment ever could have done.

II

Her charms were many-sided and could win any man over; except the one she truly wanted.

III

Their conversations were an ever ensuing game of wit and pin-pricks, of keeping a straight face and laughing behind your hand; both never admitting to the thrill they got out of it.

IV

Every message he received was signed with three x's.  
When asked, she answered with a frown it was accepted English. And had he any idea what it meant?  
He told her to go back to class and stop sending him notes.

-

(There was still a smile every time he got one.)

V

Blue had kept a journal since she was a young girl. She entrusted the paper all her mind's troubles; her joy; her sorrow.

But recently, it spoke mostly of Green.

VI

He hated sloppiness;  
He couldn't stand too much noise;  
He disliked lies with a passion.

That was why he was so surprised that every time he was somewhere he wished _that_ girl would be on his side.

VII

Happiness was something for in children's tales, he told her. Still, she kept on dreaming she would get a fairy-tale of her own one day; she would be the princess, and he her knight in shining armour.

VIII

Despite her tricks and abilities, she never once was able to beat him.  
She said she kept on challenging him because of her wounded pride.  
But the thought that was on her mind always stayed the same:

_The day I'll outdo him in battle, is the day I'll win his heart.  
_

IX

Someone once said dreams were the passage to one's soul.  
If that were the case, Green very much liked to hide his forever.

X

Their hands softly intertwined: hesitant; careful. The feeling they received made them smile despite themselves, a warmness spreading through their body and lighting the room.

XI

Her mantra always consisted of the same sentences.

never give up.  
never accept a no.  
never let them see your doubts.

She said it over and over to herself, and one day she had success; one day, he finally yielded to her.

XII

He said only a miracle could have let him fall in love with her. She replied slyly it were just her irresistible charms.

XIII

Strawberries were her favourite fruit; she'd suck on them till her lips were of a blood-red colour, moist with the squeezed juice. She was shocked to discover that kissing made her lips redder than her favourite fruit ever could – and after that, she preferred Green above anything else.  
-

she had always considered herself a good kisser. till his lips were on hers.

XIV

In a fit of love and dedication she blurted out she'd die for him. He answered dryly she wouldn't be much of a girlfriend buried under the ground.

XV

He said it was because she was different.  
She had character; she was strong, not like other nameless girls.

But in the back of his mind, he wondered if it was fate that had brought them together.

XVI

He read her actions like a book and understood her better than herself. She thought it a pity she couldn't fool him anymore – but it was a price she was more than willing to pay.

XVII

She loved his eyes the most.

Of course, he was perfect in every sense, from his dark hair to his fine hands  
(and much more)

But it was with looking at his eyes that she had seen

the truth;  
the light;  
the future;

and had fallen in love with him head over heels.

XVIII

She liked to play with his heart and his mood like a cat with a mouse; only to discover that in the end she was the only one who got played.

XIX

She said she was thirsty.  
He handed her a glass of water.  
She dove for his lips.

-  
_It's a different kind of thirstiness, she said.  
_-

a longing with every fibre in your being  
like a drowning person for land;  
a desert-dweller for water.

XX

Sometimes, she drove him mad.

He told her she didn't need any more clothes.  
_She bought a dress and shoes.  
_He commented that she looked nice.  
_She wanted more compliments. _

But when he told her he liked her no matter how she looked, she just shook her head:  
Vanity is a thing that can only be understood by a female, she said.

XXI

As a woman, she believed in intuition. As a man, he believed in rationality.  
But in the end it told them the same thing: on their own, they wouldn't live to the next day.

XXII

She asked for

silver;  
gold;  
crystal;

But the colour she loved most, she said, was simple green.

XXIII

She held the apple out to him as the evil queen had done to Snow White; but her eyes promised love instead of poison. And as the beautiful princess had done, he took the fruit out of her hand, discovering it to be sweeter than anything he had tasted before.

XXIV

Being honest - foundation for his everything - was what she shunned most. When they said _I love you_, though, both knew it to be the truth.

XXV

She wouldn't say their relation was perfect.

(Perfection only existed in children's tales, he said.)

But it made her happier than she had been in a long time – and for that, she was willing to forget the cracks in the mirror.

XXVI

Her skin was soft and warm, her body rounded in a way he could never have imagined himself. It was in that moment that he decided he was probably the luckiest man on earth.

XXVII

For Green, the world was full of questions and answers. When he was young, he wondered why the stars twinkled as they did, and found a reply in books; when he got older, he searched for the best way to train his Pokémon and became Gym leader. The one thing he didn't question was his love for Blue; and that was how she became the only sure factor in his life.

XXVIII

Their love was like the ocean, capricious and deep. After a stormy day, when the waves would crash down on the shore in a gathering of foam and water, a bright interval dawned; and they'd love each other like the day they first met.

XXIX

As two polar sides, they attracted and repelled the other; in the end never able to let go.

XXX

She was enthusiastic about everything she encountered, embracing new challenges with a smile and a wink; he watched from a distance, weighing the risks, anticipating possible outcomes. His aloofness matched her zeal: and that made them more compatible than anyone else.  


* * *

**A/N:**

**I might work out these pieces further, but I don't think I'll do it for every single one; some lean themselves better for that than others. If you have a favourite (or two, or three :p) you can tell me, of course; I can't guarantee anything, but perhaps I'll write a one-shot for it, then. But please don't bury me with requests, haha, I have to keep _some _spare time. ;D**

**~Snoaz**


	2. Dreams

**A/N:**

**Heavens, an actual update! :D Seems like miracles _do_ happen sometimes. Usual thanks goes out to _Ibuberu _for the beta (plus her continued support and patience; I'm sure listening to my rambles and having to bear with my slow work methods isn't really that fun to do ;D)**

**Warning for this piece: suggestive material. Well, nothing actually _happens_; but there's a sexual tension throughout the story. That's what you get with a prompt like that. If you're not comfortable with it, turn back, and otherwise: read on and enjoy! (And let me know what you think; but that goes without saying, hm?)**

* * *

IX

_Someone once said dreams were the passage to one's soul.  
If that were the case, Green very much liked to hide his forever.  
_

Dreams 

_She lay in the grass, eyes half-closed. Her surroundings were calm and quiet; as though everything - the sun, the wind, the birds - kept a low profile in order to make her the undivided centre of attention. _

_She was beautiful, yes she was __- and his feet moved before his brain caught up, walking over towards the subject of his admiration with a hint of hurry. _

_As soon as his shadow crept over her, blocking the sun's warm rays from her face, the girl opened her eyes and turned around. A smile crossed her features when she looked up at him. He could say a million things now - but what was there to be said, really? _

_So instead he sat down wordlessly next to her, locking his eyes with hers. She didn't turn away, and once again he was amazed by the sheer blueness of her irises. After a few seconds of balancing on the threshold, he extended an arm; and as if on command, the girl came closer. _

_While he held her by her shoulder, never letting go of her eyes, he lowered his hand and stroked the bare skin of her arm - warm, tantalizing. A smile lit her face; and he had to do the utmost not to mimic the action. Instead, he slowly reached forward, cupping her face with his free hand; one second of hitched breaths, then he closed the distance between them. _

_Her lips were soft and oddly familiar (had he kissed them before?), but he didn't pay heed to it. Because soon, all other thoughts were blocked out as she responded to his actions, shuffling closer to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. And it was warm, and it was bliss, and it was -  
_

Green woke up with a start. He felt strangely aggravated, as though he had run kilometres on end. The thumping of his heart was the only sound in the complete silence of his bedroom, darkness covering everything except the small line of moon light coming in through a slit in the curtains.

He had dreamt about Blue. And he had kissed her.

No, worse than that: he was the one who had initiated it, coming over to her and… _kissing _her. Without any warning or small talk to break the ice_, _for that matter. As though it was completely normal to do such a thing; as though she had _expected _it.

Then again, it was a dream. A figment of his - twisted, alright - imagination, created by staring at a screen for too many hours on end, and too little spent on sleep. Everyone knew that that unhealthy combination was prone to cause hallucinations. Next time, he'd make sure to turn off the computer earlier than usual and go to bed on time; that would Blue leave out of his dreams, surely.

_Surely._

* * *

_The room was beautiful. Dark panelling adorned the wallpaper on all four sides, complimenting the red carpet on the floor. There were several lamps in the apartment, but only a few were switched on; their glow contrasted with the darkness outside, creating an atmosphere of intimacy and even cosiness. His eyes were glued to the window on his right, where thick, beige curtains covered only half of the glass. The velvet night sky was dotted with small specks of light. The stars were so very far away, and yet so close; he felt strangely consoled by looking at it. Happy, perhaps, that he was here, in this room._

_A movement from the corner of his eyes made him turn his head around - and he was by no means surprised to see Blue standing there. The young woman smiled at him and took a step closer to the bed he was lying on. She wore a long, black dress that fitted like a glove, complimenting her curves but at the same time depriving him the sight of her fair skin. She looked utterly beautiful, perfect for a surrounding like this - but rather than being just a part of the scene, she was the crown jewel. _

His _crown jewel._

_She looked at him with a gaze that was full of mischief and anticipation, and underneath that, something he identified as love. (Was it a reflection of his own look? he wondered, and he didn't know whether he should be alarmed or not.) She stood there in all her mystifying glory, arms alongside her body and one foot before the other. Then - eyes never leaving his - her hand went behind her back, and without needing to ask, he knew she was loosening the bow of her dress. _

_He could feel anticipation building up inside of him, slowly and irrevocably - a tingle in his fingers, a warmth in his stomach. The moment seemed to go on forever, and just as he raised himself to free himself of the torture of waiting (go over to her; wrap his arms around her waist), the dress fell - and her body revealed itself to him. _

_Her skin was perfect and soft; he didn't need to touch it to know it was true. Looking was enough_, _really,_ _and he could almost _feel _her breath on his face, her hands trailing his jaw line… _

_Another smile appeared on her countenance, and it was beauty all over again. While continuing to captivate his gaze, she now raised an arm to her hair, loosening the messy bun it kept itself in. Strands of chestnut fell on her shoulders, gleaming and sparkling and twinkling in the light that fell upon it. It framed her face like a halo, light-brown against rosy white. _

_She looked at him for another few seconds, glossy lips turned upwards in a soft smile. Then, she lifted her hand to her shoulders. Slowly - teasingly so - she slid the straps of her bra down; first right, then left. The more skin he got to see, the more his throat seemed to close; unable to utter words, unable to question anything. _

_(But why should he question anything? Wasn't she his girlfriend, wasn't this what they did every night?) _

_She slid her hand behind her back again, and he knew what she was about to do. Tension built up inside of him as his eyes left her face and lowered themselves to her chest, currently still covered by black, satin fabric (classy - opposite to the gleam and promise in her eyes). _

_As time slowed down and the whole world seemed to hold its breath (nothing else existed but this room; all eyes on the girl in front of him), she retreated her arm - and as the garment fell, so did the room; extinguishing like a quenched torch.  
_

Complete darkness. As his eyes flew open, he was met by the impenetrable colour of ink. The absence of light made him blink, feeling confused and slightly dizzy: because hadn't there been lamps in the room, on the walls and on the tables? His eyes travelled to his right, then to his left; nothing. Only through very hard exertion could he make out the dim shapes of his night-table and the closet on the opposite end of the room.

No bright lamps. No velvet curtains. _No Blue._

It hit him with the force of a sledge, and he suddenly felt nauseous - even though he had gone to bed on time, cleared his head before lying down, _done everything _to make sure she'd stay out of his dreams… she had appeared again. And how.

This time had been worse than the previous one, because Blue had literally stripped her clothes off before him; and he hadn't even stopped her. No, on the contrary. He had watched and anticipated.

With a growl he closed his eyes, rubbing his eyelids. Though his thinking had become clear by now, and all desire to go back to sleep had left him, tiredness pressed down upon him with more strength than rationally possible for something so weightless. The quietness of the night was a blessing and curse in one: it gave him the possibility to blend in with the dark (hide from his own thoughts; get away from his own body), but at the same time made the contrast between the tranquillity of his exterior and the chaos of his interior too sharp to ignore.

Guilt and disgust waged a silent war inside of him, trying to gain the upper hand in their quest for predominance; still, neither succeeded in eliminating the other and so instead he was left with both feelings. They consumed and overwhelmed him, spreading through his body from his overheated chest to his much cooler arms and legs; adding another layer of weight to the sweat that already covered him.

(Tangible reminder of actions that weren't his; thoughts he shouldn't have. Like a parasite, it ate his sanity and dignity alike - leaving only a hollow shell and a guilty consciousness behind.)

Green knew that it was _normal _to have dreams like this, that _everyone _had them…

But he wasn't everyone; and he was above such things. Never had he had those kinds of images haunting him at night, not until now - why so? It was not like he received pleasure from it, on the contrary. He felt nothing but dirty.

The only good things were that his dream (nightmare?) had stopped in time; he knew with unwanted certainty that he'd never be able to look Blue in the eyes again if he'd seen her naked. The other thing that slightly lifted his guilt was thatshe had been his girlfriend in the dream. How ridiculous that particular fact might be, it was at least an excuse for his silent watching.

Better, at least, than the unannounced kissing in the dream he had had last night.

Perhaps his mind adjusted itself to his wishes, he thought with wry irony. Well, if that were the case, he certainly hoped it would get the message and leave Blue out of it. With a grunt, he beat the covers away and came to his feet. He couldn't sleep like this, he needed water. And stupid, ridiculous television to fill his mind with other thoughts.

If Blue only knew that she made him stumble through a dark house at night, searching for liquid and the most brainless programmes available at the time - oh, she'd fall out of her bed laughing.

And that was exactly why he was going to keep his mouth shut, of course.

* * *

In the weeks that followed, Blue kept visiting him at night; and despite all his best efforts, she didn't go away. The unasked-for visions caused an incurable tiredness - incurable, because every time he tried to regain some of his energy by closing his eyes, the brunette would make her appearance again; not only depriving him of his dignity, but also of his sleep.

He'd thought he wasn't the type to wake up in the middle of the night, heart racing and covered in sweat; that that was something only for people with a troubled past or guilty conscious.

The fact that he now belonged to one of those categories was humiliating enough in itself.

But despite the definitive loss of the innocent child inside of him (as far as he had had such a thing, that is) he stayed the rationalist he'd always been. He needed to organize his thoughts in order to get to the roots of the problem; no point in cutting off the stem when it would grow back on the moment you turned away.

Still, how to organize his thoughts when he felt more disorientated than ever? Not to mention that there was absolutely nothing solid to say about his dreams slash nightmares; no pattern to detect and analyze, gaining valuable clues. Sometimes, Blue would just waver in and out of his vision, as if to remind him she was still there. At other times, the dreams would get realistic and full of colour - showing him details he'd never asked for. The only constant was the girl herself: _Blue, Blue, Blue, _over and over, until she drove him so crazy that he seriously considered the thought that she did it on purpose.

(It took him an embarrassing long second to remind himself that, despite the considerate manipulation skills of the girl in question, there was no way someone could enter another person's dreams on purpose. Just more proof of how much damage his brain had received since that first fatal night.)

In the end, once he had accepted the fact that the dreams wouldn't go away on their own accord, he decided it would be best to do some research. It felt foolish to actually take the figments of his imagination seriously - or, in any case, pay more attention to it than strictly necessary - but at this point, he didn't know what else to do.

And besides - research had never hurt anyone. Right?

* * *

_Right_.

Green stared at the page before his eyes, and decided that he was officially doomed.

_When a person keeps returning in one's dreams in a sexual way, it means one's subconscious strongly desires the person in question. The only remedy is to confront that desire; that is, to talk to the person in question about the recurring dreams, or to any other person who may bring relief. (…) _

Tell Blue?

Tell anyone else?

His thoughts turned briefly to last night's vision (silky hair; taintless skin; soft lips) and decided on the spot that he'd rather have the dreams than the humiliation.

_Even _when they included Blue.

(Somewhere in his head, in a whisper too soft to be heard, his subconscious silently corrected: _because _they included Blue.)


	3. Fairy Tale

**A/N: I've had this story lying around since October, but for some reason never came about uploading it. It's nothing too special - mainly dialogue between Blue and Green, just because it's that fun to write (and read?) :D **

**Next update won't take as long this one, by the way. I can even leave the word probably out there :D  
**

**

* * *

**

VII

_Happiness was something for in children's tales, he told her.__ Still, she kept on dreaming she would get a fairy-tale of her own one day; she would be the princess, and he her knight in shining armour. _

Fairy Tale

"Green, you're here! Oh, I've been looking for you for _ages_, really. Why do you disappear off my radar so much?"

The boy in question turned momentarily around, regarding the girl who had spoken to him in such merry tones with a blank expression; then, he diverted his attention back to his Pokémon.

"Hey, you – don't ignore me!"

"I didn't ignore you."

"Yes you did! And I won't let you." The girl stepped in front of the young Pokémon trainer, blocking his view from the Pidgeot he was currently training.

The boy let out an annoyed sigh. "Blue, can you get out of my field of vision?"

"Of course I can." The brunette then smiled, eyes sparkling. "I just won't do it."

"Obnoxious girl – " He tried to sidestep her, only to be confronted by a perfect mimic of his actions by the girl before him. Green sighed again, far from being in the mood for playing games. "Blue, what do you want? Just say it, so I can go on with what I had started before you interrupted."

"If you hadn't ignored me in the first place, you would already _know _by now what I came for," the girl pointed out in a sweet tone, winking at the frustrated face in front of her. "But alright, I'll forgive you for that small misstep. What I wanted to know from you is which princess you think I resemble most."

Green was silent. And stared. Then –

"Are you kidding?"

"What?" Blue looked at him with an incredulous expression, as if kidding and herself were two words that could never be connected with each other. "Of course I'm not, I'm perfectly serious!"

"I cannot believe you are, because really; have you even read some fairy-tales? If yes, then you'd have discovered that all princesses are obedient, prude and sweet… something _you_ most definitely do not resemble."

Blue stared indignantly at him for awhile, but then smiled mischievously. "Oh, that's perhaps what you think, Green; but I can be _very _graceful and sweet. I might only act disobediently and not-so-prude around you."

"Or anyone."

She huffed. "How typical to see the rest of humanity as an extension of yourself."

"That shouldn't be a concept too foreign for you, should it?"

"Well, at least with me it's _justified_," she stated, corners of her mouth tugged upwards and expression defiant. When she didn't get the reaction she hoped for, however (the brown-haired boy merely gave her a raised eyebrow and then walked towards his silently waiting Pidgeot), Blue flipped her hair back and crossed her arms. "Fine; I get the message. Thanks for being _totally _not helpful. I'll go find Red now, perhaps _he _can give me a satisfactory response."

And with that, she walked away.

Green watched her leave, relieved that he could ensue his training; but at the same time prickled by a mild sense of curiosity. With a slightly exasperated look that should indicate his Pokémon that it wasn't exactly _his _dearest wish either, he returned the Pidgeot in its pokéball and called out to Blue.

(Later, they'd continue where they had left off, he told himself; no chance that the girl would mess that up, too.)

Upon hearing her name, the brunette turned around but didn't say anything in response. Green sighed, knowing that her indignant demeanour of wounded pride was just an act in order to make him feel guilty. _As if._

"Why do you want to know what kind of… _princess _you are?" he asked, not bothered in the least by the stony look on her face. He could do much better than that, after all. "If this is a way to boost your ego, it's a rather far-fetched one, to be honest."

"Of course this wasn't a quest for compliments, or I wouldn't have come to _you _of all people." Green didn't answer to this, seeing as it contained way too much truth to be denied. "I just wanted to know your opinion," the girl continued, " because next week is the costumed ball, and I mean to go as a princess."

"…there's a costumed ball coming?"

Blue raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you haven't caught word of it? I mean, I know you live in a kind of social isolation, but something this big should have reached even you."

He rolled his eyes, annoyed at her constant pin-pricking (because really, didn't she have something better to do?) – but then, suddenly remembered. "Oh, you mean the feast of next week… Daisy mentioned it earlier. Didn't know costumes were obligatory, though."

"This might come as a surprise to you, but a costumed ball usually entails some kind of dress code - really. There's also a prize attached to it, which automatically means that I have to get the best dress imaginable, of course…"

"What a drama it'd be if someone actually looked _better _than you, wouldn't it?" Green said with curved lips, not bothering to keep the amusement out of his voice.

"…it would indeed," responded Blue, choosing for dignity instead of anger. "And that's why I have to take all the precautions possible to avoid such a turn-out – which leaves us once again at the question it all began with." She smiled sweetly.

Green sighed, having come to the conclusion that it would be best to just play along and get it over with; more important things were waiting, after all. "Right. Well, since you've got brown hair, both Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are a no-go. Same goes for Snow White and the Little Mermaid. Or you have to take a fancy towards colouring your locks bright-red, of course." He smirked in way that could be perceived as both teasing and scorning; he wasn't sure which one it was himself.

"And hop the rest of the evening around with a mermaid-tail? No thanks." Blue gave him a dismissive look that obviously said _try harder or else._

Green folded his arms with an irritated expression in response. "Well, _are _there any brown-haired princesses? Looks to me like Andersen and the brothers Grimm alike preferred blondes."

Blue gave him a indignant look. "I take serious offence to that, Green. You should know that in general, brunettes are _much _more classy, smart, and attractive than blondes. Research has proven that."

"Research that you conducted, I assume?"

"Well, all the attention I get is proof enough."

"I think that you'll find your hair colour to be only a minor factor in that," he stated in a dry tone. When she raised an eyebrow to ask for elaboration, he merely mimicked the action, as if to say 'isn't it obvious?' (She should be smart enough to find out the source of all the male attention herself; and besides, he didn't feel like telling.)

"You know…" he continued thoughtfully awhile, "there _is _a brunette Disney character, I now remember: Beauty. She's not exactly a princess, so she doesn't meet your qualifications, but – "

Blue clasped her hands for her mouth. "Oh, you're right! You're _absolutely _right! She's _perfect _for me!"

Green shot her a confused look. "You're sure? The only perfect thing I see is your shared hair colour."

"No, no, no, look at the _name_!"

He was silent for awhile; then, as realisation hit him, he made an exasperated sound that was midway between a snort and a sigh. "Only _you _would list that as a resemblance."

"Then obviously only _I _am beautiful enough to lay claim to that name, aren't I?"

Green decided that any remark now would be pointless. It had got to the point where mere words weren't enough; so instead, he stayed silent, regarding her with an incredulous expression that should convey at least a _portion _of his depreciative feelings.

For some reason, he wasn't very surprised when the sentiment failed to come across.

"Beauty it is, then!" chirped Blue, clapping her hands in delight and acting oblivious to his frown of disapproval. "I have to get a dress like the one she wore during the dining scene; I'm sure I can persuade Ruby to sew something like it for a minimum rate. And then my date should wear – "

She fell silent. Green suddenly felt very much like smirking.

"A hairy suit, huh?" he finished for her. "That'd be just _perfect_, wouldn't it?"

The girl frowned at his mocking grin - but more because she seemed to be lost in thought than that she really disapproved of his demeanour. "Well, the Beast _does _become human in the end; so I guess that means that my date can wear a prince-suit after all…" Blue trailed of, sounding unsure. "But that isn't the way it's supposed to be, I mean – no-one would recognize that we went as Beauty and the Beast! Oh, why does everything has to be so _hard_!"

Green looked at her with raised eyebrows, thinking that her act of drama queen had reached whole new levels. Wanting to look good at a party was one thing, but screaming because the first dress-up option out of many failed, was another. "Blue, stop being so noisy," he interrupted, more-than-slightly annoyed. "What's the big deal, really? If that Beauty isn't good enough, find another one! There are _hundreds _of fairy-tales – there must be at least _one _character who meets all your ridiculous qualifications."

"But I don't _want _a character out of some dense, unknown, far-hidden fairy-tale!" she answered in a rising voice. "I want to go as a princess who is pretty and loved and famous, and who has _the most handsome _date of all!"

"Yes, well, that is going to be hard since we just established that all the princesses who qualify are blonde," he stated in a deadpan voice, "so unless you want to wear a wig –"

"Absolutely not."

" – or dye your hair – "

"Not a chance."

" – it's going to be difficult," he finished, ignoring her interruptions. "Why does it even need to be a princess? I mean, there're loads of other characters you can go as… there's not exactly a rule that says you should go as such and such, is there?"

"No. It's just my rule. I _have _to go as a princess."

"Or else what? You'll get petrified again?" Green replied, scorn obvious in his voice.

Blue raised an eyebrow. "Of course not; it's all just a matter of preferences."

There was a small silence in which Blue examined the sky above her (or, more accurately, avoided the piercing gaze of the boy in front of her) and Green studied the girl's face. Then, coming to a conclusion, he said, "It matters so much because you want the life of a fairy-tale yourself. The life you never had."

"What – no, that's ridiculous," Blue answered, giving him a fleeting look before directing her attention to the almost-cloudless sky again. He did catch the fumbling of fingers, though; the twirling of hair. Signs of nervousness... _signs that he was right_.

"Is it? What about your exclamation that the princess you want to go as has to be pretty and famous? And, more importantly, _loved?_"

"…you're really reading too much into this, Green," the girl replied in a dismissive voice, about to turn around - only to be stopped by a hand on her arm. "What are you - let go, Green! This talk has gone on for long enough now."

"Oh, so you can start a conversation when you feel like it, but run out of it when it covers topics not to your liking?" He took a step closer to her, hand closed around her upper arm. A strange emotion flashed across Blue's face as he advanced on her; he didn't dare categorizing it for fear of being wrong, but was certain nonetheless that she minded his presence less than she let on.

"That's an excellent definition of a successful talk you've got there, bravo," the brunette mocked, eyes still avoiding his.

"Blue." He pierced her eyes with his own, and held her gaze with such an intensity the girl proved unable to look away; instead, she regarded him with wide eyes, a little bit shocked and a little bit – something.

He ignored the questions in his head in order to resume his talk. Nothing was gained by shady assumptions.

"Stop avoiding conversations you're afraid of, Blue. Just _learn to face the truth _and admit to it! That's the only thing to do, really, because otherwise you'll be running ahead of yourself for the rest of your life."

Her mouth twisted, and he could see that she wanted to say something; something ironic, something quirky, something to shut him up. But instead, she drew a deep breath and looked him square in the eye.

"Fine. I _will _be honest. It's true that I've dreamed of a life from a fairy-tale ever since that damn bird got me and I got stuck in a living nightmare. It's true that I wish to go as a princess to the ball because it's a way to escape for me. It's also true that I want to be loved and found pretty and whatnot. Is that so hard to come by? Is that so unbelievable?"

Green said nothing for awhile, and just held her gaze. He lowered his hand from her arm, sure that she wouldn't try to run away anymore. For a moment, the girl's azure eyes flicked to his retreating arm, looking as though she wanted to stop him; but then her gaze was back on his face. She wanted a reply - she _demanded _one.

"….no, I don't find that hard to believe," he said at last. "It's to be expected, even. When life gets tough, retreating in a self-made world is very tempting. Consoling, too, perhaps… Still, you don't have to forget that a fantasy can never replace reality. You can't build upon castles in the air."

Blue sighed tersely, jerking her head in an impatient gesture. "It's not like I do that, do I? I've come to know reality at a far younger age than anyone around me, and I've dealt with it as best as I could. It's easy to say such things when you _haven't _been abducted by a giant bird and put behind invisible bars, wearing masks and whatnot."

Green decided against rising to the accusation only because she was in a fragile state of mind – only because the past was still such a sensible spot with her.

Not because seeing her upset and wounded affected him with a knife sharper than the fierce glare sent his way.

At last, gaze directed at the grass under his feet, he responded, "I know, Blue. You don't have to tell me that. And if you want to go to that ball as a princess, you should. I'm really not stopping you."

There was silence for awhile. Then: "Do you think I'll look good as Beauty?"

Green looked up abruptly. "What the – What's that for kind of question?"

She smiled her deviously charming smile. "One I want to know the answer of."

The rolling of his eyes was reflective and couldn't be stopped - one of the many side effects of spending too much times around Blue. "I can hardly look into the future to check your appearance, can I?" he said, slightly exasperated. "But honestly, I don't see a reason why you _wouldn't _look alright."

A surprised expression took hold of the girl's countenance – equally quickly taken over by a pleased one. Then, the inevitable smug smile (forebode of trouble; forebode of dreadful questions) made its appearance. "And how do you think _you'll _look in a customized outfit?"

It was always better to feign ignorance in such cases.

"Eh?"

"Oh, don't play dumb; that only works when you're stupid enough for it." She paused; then smiled again. "I think you'll look really handsome, Green. Especially when you're accompanying me."

_Right_. So much for that strategy.

"So, if you'd just ask me out now, we can go on with our respective businesses," Blue stated merrily, gleefully oblivious to his discomfort.

– or, well, _acting _obliviously towards it. Which in her case, was about the same thing.

"Excuse me?" he said, cocking an eyebrow. "Don't I have a say in this?"

"Of course. Your say consists of the phrase, 'Do you want to be my date for the costumed ball, Blue?'"

"…you're actually expecting me to repeat your lines. Well, _that's _a very ingenious way of asking someone out."

"I'm just helping you here, Green, because I know you're hardly experienced with these kind of things." She held up a hand to stop him from interrupting, and then continued in a merry tone, "And, _no_, sweetie: refusal is _not _an option. You're practically _obliged _to ask me out after the way I opened my heart up to you."

She smiled. Because of a twist of the light, it seemed rather demoniacal.

…on second thought, it just _was _demoniacal.

He grumbled, feeling frustrated like was so often the case with this female. How she could just trap him like that, it was beyond belief; the sheer nerve and impudence she displayed; the utter…

Wait.

He _was _nowhere near trapped.

Come to think of it, he could just turn around and walk away if he felt like it; sure, she'd be persistent and annoying, but there was no way that she could actually _force _him to take her to the ball.

Which meant that the only reason he was still standing here, was because he actually _wanted _to...

His eyes flicked to her face. They registered an expectant look and a pretty smile alike; waiting, he knew, for his concede. Which she, surprisingly enough, also was about to get. Because really, who was he to talk about honesty if he wasn't it in the first place_? _

He sighed; closed his eyes in momentarily annoyance; and then asserted in a pure matter-of-fact way, "Do you want to be my date for the costumed ball, Blue?"

Her smile widened in delight. "Hm. That's a very hard question to answer, Green. Especially because it was stated in such _passionate _tones…"

"Annoying girl, can you just say yes and get it over with?"

The girl chuckled in response, face alight with outspoken glee; she'd always enjoyed their game of denial and hidden façades way more than him. What also might have something to do with the fact that she was _better _at it.

"Fine," she said at last, "I'll gladly accept. Don't lose sight of your mail box and phone – I'll keep you posted on all the upcoming _detes _concerning costume and time."

"Yeah, whatever." He reached for his pokéballs. "If you don't mind, I'll go resume my training now."

"Sure, honey; I won't keep you up any longer. I've already got what I wanted, after all." She winked, and then turned around.

As he watched her leave (hair bobbing up and down, hips swinging, skirt flowing around her bare legs) a low sigh escaped his mouth. It seemed like he once again played an essential part in one of the girl's many schemes and plans.

Though in this case, perhaps it wasn't _that _bad. After all, he'd help in making her dream become reality; even if it was just for one night. And as for the costume part: he'd survive. He'd been through worse things, really.

(– though on second thought, it might be best to contact Blue to ensure that the Beast costume wasn't part of the night. He didn't care what she said – handsome and hairy were two concepts that just didn't go that well with each other.)


	4. Vanity

**A/N: **

**This is possibly the shortest story I've ever written. :D Yes, I'm weirdly proud of that.**

**Same warning applies to this as for _Dreams_; which is to say, (mild) suggestiveness. **

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**

XX

Sometimes, she drove him mad.

He told her she didn't need any more clothes._  
She bought a dress and shoes._  
He commented that she looked pretty good._  
She wanted more compliments. _

But when he told her he liked her no matter how she looked, she just shook her head:  
Vanity is a thing that can only be understood by a female, she said.

Vanity

"Blue, how much longer will it take?"

"Just another few minutes; don't sweat it."

Green grumbled in response, something the girl locked up in the room bordering on his probably didn't hear. He'd been lying on the bed now for fifteen minutes, and was getting a little impatient. Not to mention, there were at least a hundred more useful things he could be doing at this very moment - something that _didn't _involve waiting at a girl who wouldn't show herself until perfection was reached.

He checked his watch again, half-deciding upon just leaving, when the door finally opened and Blue appeared. Dressed in black lacy stockings and cream-coloured, satin underwear, Green thought that she could indeed arguably be called the personification of perfection. Her glossy lips were tugged into a seductive smile, and her hand rested on her protruding hip.

It made part of him to do away with his brain and forget about manners altogether; but the more prevalent part of him - more specifically: the brain that was still there - put scepticism before lust, and made him ask, "What were those twenty minutes for? It seems an awful lot of time for so little clothing."

Blue's smile didn't waver. "You might not know it, Green, but perfection doesn't come naturally. Not even with me," she added in a tone as if it was perfectly logical she'd be the exception.

"Of course, it takes half an hour of grooming and sixty bucks on top of it. Or did that outfit of yours cost even more?"

"Just like perfection doesn't come naturally, there also can't be put a price on it," Blue answered a bit haughtily. "And besides, it's none of your business whether it was ten or a hundred dollar."

"I'd say it is, since half the time it is _my _money you're spending -"

"Okay, Green, _stop_." The brunette raised a hand, pointing two fingers in the air. Her look suddenly was rather intimidating. "You've got two choices now, before you _completely _ruin the moment. One: ask me whether you could please rip my clothing off and say no more, or two: I'll do it myself and thus make you shut up. So, what will it be?" The smile was back, sweeter than ever. Putting his extensive knowledge of body language to use, he knew that meant bad news.

So he decided not to point out that her request of cloth-ripping was only an argument for his cause (namely, that expensive lingerie was a waste of money) and merely sighed. Sometimes it was better to not get your right in order to - well - still get _something. _

"Good boy," she said, clearly missing the deadly look on his face. He hated pet names. Blue smiled again and walked, hips swinging, in his direction.

By the time she'd reached the bed and had sat down on it, his anger had for a large part resolved, having been being replaced by a faint, too-familiar-to-be-bothered-by-it sort of annoyance. "Pesky girl," he said, by now already acting on autopilot.

She pursed her lips. "I think that in this situation it's better to go for 'pretty girl'," Blue commented, taking his hand and pulling him towards her.

"Later, maybe," he sighed, as he wrapped an arm around her waist and thoughtlessly brought his lips to her neck. Her perfume tickled his senses, sending rosy scents to his nostrils. It made him think of flower petals and sun-drenched spring days, of nineteenth-century paintings that harboured fair nymphs and blossomy gardens.

It made him think of Blue.

"I will make you keep that promise," the girl answered, her voice singing with delight.

He looked up to meet her gaze, and despite himself, had to smile. Prodigious and attention-loving she might be - he wouldn't have her any other way.

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**A/N:**

**...and now it'll probably take a long, long while again before I update this.  
**


	5. Silences

**A/N:**

**I've always liked the idea of Green and Silver interacting but can't recall ever writing it; so here you go. I like how they both love, and appreciate, Blue, but each in such a different way. This is merely a drabble, but if I have to keep my resolution to write more this year, I'd better not leave those out, right?  
**

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_VI_

_He hated sloppiness;_  
_He couldn't stand too much noise;_  
_He disliked lies with a passion._

_That was why he was so surprised that every time he was somewhere he wished that girl would be on his side._

Silences

"That was a good battle."

"Hmm."

Both boys sit down on the grass without saying or agreeing beforehand - sometimes (just sometimes) their minds think alike. There's silence for awhile, which is more peaceful than awkward. Both seem to wordlessly agree that when there's no need to talk, it shouldn't happen; too much useless words are daily spilled by rambling fools who can't seem to shut up.

(A boy or a girl, black hair or brown – to prove the point, it doesn't matter.)

Green rearranges his poke balls, looking at them with a thoughtful expression, wondering what went wrong, wondering what could be done better next time; Silver stares off into the distance with an open gaze, thinking about past and present and maybe-futures.

The sky's a light shade of blue. It reminds him of his sister.

"Blue called yesterday," he says, "she sent you her greetings."

Green looks aside and doesn't say anything; but in the silence following Silver's statement, a small alertness has appeared in his eyes. He thinks of the girl temporarily staying at the Sevii Islands, absent yet so very present in her entire flirty persona.

He wonders how she's doing – and does it unintentionally out loud.

Silver frowns and continues to look into the distance as his thoughts are with the girl he misses and loves. He merely says, "She's doing great," and smiles, because it is the truth.

(She has a new life now and he's still part of it – but not as before. There's bitterness and happiness in the corners of his smile, blurred along the edges, because that's how it's been his whole life.)

Green nods to himself, reassured in knowledge he already knew. Blue would never not be alright; not her.

Her smile and gleaming eyes are apparent in the silence that falls next, and both think that, _You're being missed; _though not in the same way. Never in the same way.

"Who would have thought," Green mutters, softly – but Silver understands anyway.


End file.
